Just Like Us
by Galadriadhar
Summary: When Team Dim Sun collapsed, so did Ice's life. For almost a year, he was alone. Then he met Blue Eyes...


There is a soft spot in my heart for the Pokemon Ranger series of games. I loved _Pokemon Ranger_, I absolutely adored _Shadows of Almia_, and I really liked _Guardian Signs_ (Mewtwo for the win!)

One of my favorite characters of all time from the Ranger series is Ice, the leader of the Sinis Trio in _Shadows of Almia_. He is calm and collected, likes Ice type Pokemon, and is pretty amazing all around.

In _Guardian Signs_, one of my favorite characters is Blue Eyes, an Admin of the Pokemon Pinchers. She turns good, and essentially removes herself from the equation.

"Just Like Us" is an exploratory piece, focusing on a pairing that I had never seen and have never seen since that day I wrote this. I call this pairing BlueIceShipping. I am extremely proud of this piece, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

JUST LIKE US

He was Ice, the Leader of the Sinis Trio, Pacifist, and Terror of Rangers Everywhere. How had he ended up in some dirty dive in Oblivia? Ice remembered. He remembered all too clearly.

_"Come, Altaria," Ice called to the circling blue dragon. It landed next to him, humming a question. "I'm not sure. Anywhere but here." Ice climed onto Altaria's back. It lifted off of Altru Tower and flapped away._

_ Over Pueltown, Ice stopped the Altaria and turned to look at the Tower. A dark fog surrounded it, but as he watched, three beams of light shot out, causing the fog to dissipate. A rainbow seemed to be resting on the Tower. Ice recognized it as the Shadow Crystal, but changed from its old, darkened state. Some gritty smoke circled lazily into the sky._

_ Ice spat, cursing the Rangers. A fellow named Kellyn, in particular, received the brunt of the cursing. It was Kellyn's fault. The plan had been brilliant, but that fool of an upstart had had to bluff his way through. He was no Top Ranger. He was a nuisance._

_ Shaking his head, the leader of the Sinis Trio turned his Altaria and urged it southward. Somewhere he could escape those Rangers._

That was how he had come to Oblivia. Sophian Island, to be exact. Ice rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink.

"That's foul," Ice muttered, grimacing. "I could get better blue sodas in the Haruba." He pushed the soda away and put his head on the table.

Gentle footsteps announced the presence of a visitor. "What happened to you? Blue soda overload?" The voice was feminine and had a teasing tone.

Ice looked up irritably. The speaker was, indeed, female. She wore shorts, a long sleeved navy blue shirt, and a light blue vest. There was a blue fringe in her hair. Ice had to admit to himself that she was quite pretty.

"For your information, the blue soda tastes disturbingly like fermented berry juice. Anyway, what gives you the right to go around talking to strangers? Are you the Merriment Police?"

The lady smirked. "No, no. I was just a bit concerned. Blue-haired folks gotta stick together, eh?"

Ice shook his head. "You really are desperate, aren't you? Sit down, then."

The lady slid into the seat across from Ice. "You don't even know my name," she said. "Why ask me to sit?"

"You obviously need company, judging from earlier comments. It just so happens that I need… want to talk with someone, no matter how ditzy they may be."

"I feel offended." But the lady smiled. Ice rested his head on a fist.

"Who are you? You seem so keen for me to ask that," Ice asked.

"Blue Eyes. That's my name. I used to work for the Pinchers. Then I changed. Anyway, now I'm just another girl who happens to have a Capture Glove." Blue Eyes gave a wry smile. "Not that it helps me anymore. Your turn."

Ice raised an eyebrow. "I didn't plan on telling my life story, you know."

Blue Eyes lightly punched his arm. "I didn't tell you my life story. Go on!"

Ice sighed. "I'm Ice. I am- was, I mean. I was the leader of the Sinis Trio of Team Dim Sun. An upstart Ranger messed with Dim Sun, and it fell. Now I'm here, in Oblivia, as far away from that Ranger as I can possibly get."

"Really?" Blue Eyes asked in disbelief.

"Yes, unfortunately. It happened about a year ago. I've been here for a little less than that. It's gotten extremely boring. No one to talk to, nothing to do. No idea what happened to Heath or Lavana. I'd welcome their company right now. They were my only… friends, I guess." Ice had no idea why he was telling Blue Eyes this. He assumed it was from being alone for almost a year.

"Was Lavana pretty?" The question took Ice by surprise.

"What?"

"Was Lavana a pretty lady?" Blue Eyes asked. She was staring at Ice intently. Normally, Ice would have been feeling uncomfortable, but her gaze was not quite intense. It reminded Ice of himself, her blue eyes almost the same shade as his.

"I suppose," Ice said, shrugging. "She wasn't one I'd want to settle down with. Lavana had a temper as hot as magma, which I guess was good. She was excellent with Fire types. But our relationship was platonic."

Blue Eyes nodded. "What was Heath like?"

They talked for the better part of an hour. Finally, Blue Eyes stood.

"Are you leaving?" Ice asked. He was a bit sad.

"Not without you," Blue Eyes said. "I'm gonna show you how to have a good time here."

Blue Eyes began pulling Ice up. "If you're talking about nightclubs, no thanks. I really don't like those."

Blue Eyes laughed. Ice thought it was very musical. "No, nothing like that. I mean the wonders of Oblivia, Ice. Come on, we need to hurry if we're going to see Mount Sorbet. I think you'll like it."

Ice allowed Blue Eyes to drag him out of the diner.

_The top of Mount Sorbet is a breathtaking place_, Ice thought. The snow covered the mountain for as far as the eye could see. There was a wind twisting through the caverns, creating a whistling, humming sound that seemed like music.

"Wh-what do you th-think?" Blue Eyes questioned.

"It's beautiful," Ice replied. He looked around again, but noticed a chattering sound. He glanced at Blue Eyes. She was shivering in the cold of the mountain.

Ice removed his long coat and draped it over Blue Eyes' shoulders. She looked at him.

"Why did you do that?"

"The cold affects you, no matter what you may think." Ice allowed himself a small smirk.

_Cuuuuunoooo_! Ice started. Blue Eyes looked up. "Look," she said, pointing skyward. Ice followed her finger to see Articuno circling the peak. Articuno let out another cry, then shot off to the west.

Ice was dumbfounded. Blue Eyes poked him in the side. "What's up?" she asked.

Finally finding his voice, Ice cleared his throat. "I've wanted to see Articuno ever since I was three. That was what motivated me to use Ice types. When I was older, I began climbing dozens of mountains and visiting many cold places. I wanted to see Articuno. I never did see her. Now, when I wasn't searching, I found her."

"You're deeper than I thought," Blue Eyes commented. She was no longer shivering.

"I'm not just a criminal. I had dreams and aspirations. But that all changed. One day, I got a letter from my mother. She said that some Rangers had come and arrested my father. I wanted revenge, yet I never got it."

Ice fell silent for a bit, then continued. "As I was leaving Almia, I checked up on my father. I found out that he had been the ringleader of a small group called the Onukazua Nobunaga. They were trying to bend the wills of the Legends, in order to be able to control them. I finally understood. The Rangers were just doing their jobs. I still haven't forgiven them all. There are probably a few that I will never forgive."

Blue Eyes gazed at Ice. _This guy has seen a lot. He's jaded_, she thought. _But he seems to be getting better._

They stood in companionable silence for a while. Then Ice asked the question. "Where to next?" He smiled at Blue Eyes.

Ice and Blue Eyes lay on the grass on Latolato Trail. It was night. The stars were out, and Ice was happier than he had been for almost a year. Scratch that. He was happier than he had been since before his father was arrested.

Blue Eyes had shown him the Rainbow Dais, the wreck of the submarine she had commanded, the Daybreak, Oblivia, and Canal Ruins, the Old Mansion, and Layuda and Faldera Islands. At each place, Blue Eyes had told Ice more about the Pinchers and what she had done. Ice had responded by telling her more of his own story. Now, they were watching the stars. Ice hadn't expected the day to end like this, but he was fine with it.

"Do you know any of the constellations, Ice?" Blue Eyes asked. She was still wearing Ice's coat, and Ice didn't ask for it back.

"No," Ice replied. "I never studied astronomy. I wish that I had."

"Well, there's The Ice Queen," Blue Eyes said, pointing out ten stars that made a shape much like a Froslass. "Legends say that she tried to freeze Darkrai, who then hurled her into the sky. Then there's the Knight and Damsel." Blue Eyes traced some stars that looked like a Gardevoir carrying an Alakazam. "The Gardevoir saved his love, an Alakazam, from the grasp of a Xatu. In retaliation, the Xatu cursed the Gardevoir and the Alakazam so that when they died, they wouldn't go to Giratina. Instead, they would be engraved in the sky for eternity. He meant for the two of them to be separated, but their love was so strong that they remained together."

Finally, Blue Eyes pointed to a group of stars that looked like Articuno and Lugia. "Those are the Reluctant Companions. Fate thrust them together, though at first Lugia didn't like it. But Fate had other things in mind, and sent Articuno and Lugia on many adventures Lugia came to appreciate Articuno's company so much that, when Arceus called for her, Lugia begged to come along to the afterlife. Arceus consented, and Lugia professed his love for Articuno. Arceus allowed them a place in the heavens, for their love is a-" Blue Eyes stopped abruptly. Ice had moved closer to her and grasped her hand. It sent a shiver up her spine. He smiled in response to her questioning look. On a whim, she rested her head on his shoulder, and Ice didn't object.

"Articuno and Lugia are just like us, aren't they?" Blue Eyes asked.

"Yes," Ice answered. "Just like us."


End file.
